Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

50 reviews

autumnwhite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, Addiction, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Gaslighting, Torture, Sexual content, Grief, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse

scifi_rat's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Stalking, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Grief, Murder, Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

baileyanabella's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Absolutely stunning writing by Danya Kukafka. What could have been an incredibly confusing mixture of stories from the perspective of four different people in completely different time frames, were masterfully written and intertwined with one another. You begin the story knowing its ending, but the ride there with the characters is what keeps you in your seat. Also features a diverse cast, including POC and LGBTQQ+ main characters. Their representation never feels forced, it is intrinsically involved in the plot and their personal development. I ate this up, and I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. Kukafka doesn't miss a beat!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

Maybe to no one's surprise because of the title, but there is a detailed first-person description of an execution, of the desire to stay alive but being forced to die. I've never read anything like it, so it's something to be aware of when going in. Ansel is pathetic and dies pathetically.

desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

There are millions of men out there who want to hurt women - people seem to think that Ansel Packer is extraordinary, because he actually did. 

This book was amazing! Yes it's incredibly dark and it hurts but it is so skillfully written and immersive and makes so much sense, I am pretty much in awe. The cover also makes so much sense when you read it and that's really cool. I didn't give it 5 stars because of a principle I have, if animals get unnecessarily hurt or die in a story, it isn't 5 stars,but yeah otherwise I fully recommend it. It really gives you a new perspective on the obsession people have with murderers or serial killers specifically - is the murderer really the most important thing about that? Is it most interesting, what made them like this? How their psyche works? What would be if they wouldn't have made those decisions? How they impacted the people around them and vice versa? 
The book is not pro death penalty or police it shows flaws in the system, it also isn't against reporting on serial killers, it is just in some ways a comfort, hope, warning and another perspective from death row as well as from impacted outsiders left behind and I think that is all it should be. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Car accident, Confinement, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Violence, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

applesodaperson's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Wow this was a stunning book. The one thing I will say about it is that even though it was written from a lot of povs, Saffy did feel like the main character, not Ansley. I also wish that there were pov chapters from Blue, Jenny, and Shawna. 
Read from the Provo library.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

kananineko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think this book was very well written and very well done, if a little shallow. Every perspective felt necessary and added to the story, and I really enjoyed the focus on victims and women in the story of a male serial killer, but... I feel like it could've dived deeper into the themes, and honestly, not much happened. Dare I say it was a little boring and forgettable... Keep in mind that crime/thriller isn’t my usual genre (I don’t enjoy these types of books as much as other people do). However, it was still an important book. I did shed a tear in the last chapter, which is rare. I also wish Lavendar had more chapters. Overall, I'd consider it a good book, though. The writing was phenomenal as well. I'm glad this book was written but it wasn't anything out of this world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, Murder, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Racism, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Incest, and Xenophobia

melmertsis's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Addiction, Abandonment, Violence, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Drug use

literaryliaisons's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Addiction, and Drug abuse

soobooksalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Notes On An Execution has been in my brain's TBR for some time.
 I knew it would be dark, and I wasn't wrong. It's also amazing and unforgettable. 
 It's the story of Ansel Packer, a damaged man turned murderer. 
 His chapters take us through his final hours before execution. The chapters in between introduce readers to women from his life - his mother Lavender, fellow foster child and eventual police detective Saffy, and Hazel - the twin sister of Ansel's wife.
 It's a fascinating portrait of a boy, then man, who became a killer. But Ansel and all of the characters are made to be somehow relatable through incredible writing from author Danya Kukafka.
 Notes On An Execution may be polarizing and disturbing. But it is most definitely recommended.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Violence, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty

_nessa_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is such an amazing book. It’s incredible how the author frames the story through the eyes of the women affected and how alternative realities are explored. Making Ansel be the reader is also an interesting choice and love how she never romanticized his actions. 

Saffy is such a badass i love her

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, and Racism

Minor: Cancer, Alcohol, and Drug use